Following Your Heart

S. Eicher Jerry

Description

Readers will delight in this warmhearted novel by bestselling author Jerry Eicher (more than 350,000 books sold), a former Amish man, who writes with authenticity and compassion about the people he grew up with.Susan Hostetler a young Amish woman who had left her community for life in the outside world, returns home to her family with her English friend, Teresa Long, and Teresa's newborn, fatherless son. Teresa has come in hopes of settling with the Amish people.Deacon Ray gets wind of the situation and forbids the unwed mother from attending the church services, fearing she will pollute the young people of the community.Susan's estranged boyfriend, Thomas Stoll, who still has hopes of winning her back, fears the trouble with Teresa will drive Susan back into the English world.Thomas convinces Yost Byler, an old bachelor, to propose to Teresa and adopt her child after the marriage. When Yost visits Deacon Ray with his plan, Deacon Ray agrees to the idea and removes the restriction, allowing Teresa to begin attending instruction classes.Outraged at this turn of events, Susan is unable to persuade Teresa from her plans to marry Yost. Yet throughout it all, Deacon Ray's son, James, notices the depth of Teresa's devotion to the faith and to her son, and finds himself drawn to her.With two Amish men interested in her, Teresa has a decision to make...and so does Susan. Will Susan stay in the community she loves....or venture back to the freedom she enjoyed in the English world?Book Two in the Fields of Home series

Sujets

• Romance

Informations

• Publié par: Harvest House Publishers
• Date de parution: 01 mai 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780736944793
• Langue: English

Extrait

Readers of Amish fiction love Jerry Eicher s Little Valley series
Ella Yoder, a young, independent Amish woman, suffered a terrible loss. But now she must pick up the pieces of her shattered life and move forward. Will her faith in God and in her community survive?

Ella and Aden s wedding and their move to their dream house is set for June. The beautiful wedding quilt is almost finished when tragedy strikes and the life they d planned together is demolished. Why would God take my true love home? Ella wonders.
With Aden gone, Ella s future is uncertain. Daniel, Aden s brother, decides to finish Aden and Ella s dream house. Should Ella sell the home and land? Or will she go against tradition and move into the home alone?
When a very eligible bachelor calls, Ella faces family and community pressure to accept his courting. Torn between her heart and Amish expectations, Ella must choose

Ella Yoder has moved into her dream house. Living alone for the first time, she ponders her options. How will I make a living? How will I live without Aden? What will become of me?
Two would-be suitors soon make their intentions known. Ella agrees to take care of Preacher Stutzman s three motherless girls. Her heart is touched by their love for her. Is their affection the answer for Ella s shattered heart? Does God want her to marry Ivan so she can be the mother his three children need? But there s the bishop s offer of marriage to consider and the unusual option to consider of staying single and living in the home Aden designed.

Ella loves the widower Ivan Stutzman s children. She is genuinely devoted to Ivan and keenly aware of his desire to propose, but her feelings stop just short of romance. Is her love for Ivan s children enough to make a marriage work?
When a handsome Englisha man seeks Ella out to ask about the Amish faith, Ella is wary but intrigued. She agrees to meet with him-but only with the bishop s approval. Soon Ella is torn between her devotion to Ivan and his children and her growing feelings for the Englisha . With dire consequences at stake, Ella must decide what her heart really wants, what God s will is for her, and whether she will stay true to her Amish heritage.
Jerry Eicher s Hannah s Heart series follows Hannah Byler s quest for true love within the traditions of the Amish faith. Although life in rural Montana is unfamiliar and at times dangerous, Hannah learns to thrive as she shoulders new responsibilities, deals with sudden hardships, and embraces her place in this small community of believers.

Hannah Miller s Amish faith is solid, and her devotion to family and the Amish community unquestionable. Yet her young spirit longs for adventure and romance. Troubling circumstances arise that provide a good excuse to spend the summer in Montana at a relative s ranch.
Her heart awhirl with emotion, Hannah dreams about her future. Sam, the boy Hannah has known all her life, is comfortable and predictable. Peter is a wild card. And Jake is unpredictable and mysterious. Hoping for a dream come true, Hannah leaves the life she s known and sets out for the wilds of Montana.

Hannah and her husband live near a small Amish community in a rough log cabin that is far from everything Hannah holds dear. Anxious about her new role as wife and soon-to-be mother, Hannah understands she must learn to control her anxious heart if her marriage is to survive.
When her husband loses his job and answers the call to ministry, they discover hardships will either drive them apart or draw them closer together. With winter pressing in and money scarce, Hannah is determined to find hope despite the fearful conditions.

Hannah is adjusting to married life. While her husband works long days as a furniture maker and minister, she stays busy keeping their home in order. Both anticipate their baby s birth with joy.
When word of a Mennonite tent revival spreads and worry about losing church members mounts, Hannah s sister arrives and quickly catches the eye of a bachelor whose brother left the church during the last revival. And when an Englisha neighbor announces his interest in one of the Amish widows, Hannah s husband is caught in the middle of the controversy.
Will Hannah and her husband s determination to stay faithful to God and the traditions of their church survive the turmoil?
HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS
EUGENE, OREGON
Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to events or locales is entirely coincidental.
Cover by Garborg Design Works, Savage, Minnesota
FOLLOWING YOUR HEART
Copyright 2012 by Jerry S. Eicher Published by Harvest House Publishers Eugene, Oregon 97402 www.harvesthousepublishers.com
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Eicher, Jerry S.
Following your heart / Jerry S. Eicher.
p. cm. - (Fields of home ; bk. 2)
ISBN 978-0-7369-4478-6 (pbk.)
ISBN 978-0-7369-4479-3 (eBook)
1. Amish-Fiction. I. Title.
PS3605.I34F65 2012
813 .6-dc23
2011032582
All rights reserved . No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means-electronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any other-except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.
Printed in the United States of America
12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 / LB-CD / 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Contents
Readers of Amish fiction love Jerry Eicher s Little Valley series
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
The Fields of Home series, Book 1: Missing Your Smile
Where Love Grows: Book 3 in The Fields of Home Series
From Jerry and Tina Eicher, My Dearest Naomi
About Jerry Eicher
More Great Books by Jerry Eicher
AmishReader.com
Longing for a taste of Amish cooking?
C HAPTER O NE

T he early morning light streamed through the kitchen window, sending sunbeams bouncing across the plain white walls. Susan Hostetler closed her eyes as she listened to the sound of her daett s deep voice leading out in morning prayer. It was so gut to be home again, she decided, feeling the warmth of the stove on her back, noticing the soft touch of the hanging tablecloth on her arms, and taking in the delicious smell of Mamm s breakfast filling the room. Already Asbury Park seemed thousands of miles away, another world lost in the distant past. Yet it had only been a few days since she d returned home, bringing Teresa and baby Samuel with her.
Beside her Teresa sniffled as she pulled a white handkerchief from the pocket in her new Amish cape dress. Her hand hit the side of her head covering and knocked it askew as she dabbed her eyes. Teresa wasn t quite used to Amish clothing, Susan thought. She smiled. Teresa had insisted on wearing the dress Mamm had made for her the moment she saw it.
Menno s deep voice was wrapping up the prayer. And now, may the God of all peace comfort our hearts with His holy grace. And be with us this day, oh Lord. Lead us in the path of Your righteousness. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Teresa stuffed the handkerchief back into her dress pocket. Susan gave her friend s arm a quick squeeze under the table while she reached with the other to pass the plate of eggs.
Susan s mamm , Anna, glanced at both girls. I have things I need at the Dutch Barn this morning. Do you girls want to drive down for me? The weather isn t too bad, and it would give Teresa a chance to see more of the community.
I don t know why not, Susan replied. Teresa, do you want to go?
What about Samuel? Teresa asked, glancing toward the upstairs doorway.
I ll watch him, Mamm offered, smiling. You ve fed him already, haven t you? And I already love the little fellow.
A quick smile spread across Teresa s face as she nodded.
Then he ll be okay for a few hours, Mamm said.
I don t know much about babies, Teresa replied, her smile fading. I m so thankful you took me in. You don t know how much it means to me.
You re very welcome here, Mamm said. And you can stay as long as you wish.
Susan s daett , who had been listening to the conversation, spoke up. Da Hah gives His grace to all of us, does He not? He helped himself to some eggs. We are more than glad to help out.
Susan thought Teresa was going to pull her handkerchief out again.
Teresa gathered herself together instead and, barely speaking loud enough for them to hear, said, I have wanted this for so long. You have no idea how much I have wanted this. At first I was thinking only of my son, but now I want this life for me too. It s an answer to my prayers.
Da Hah is a very gracious God, Menno said. And you re welcome here, Teresa. Just remember, we are all human, even here in the community. But I suppose you ll be finding that out as time goes on.
That s for sure, Mamm said. And none of us should ever be forgetting we are not perfect.
But I think you are all wonderful, Teresa protested. I haven t seen anything but saintliness so far. You are such sweet people. I know I can never be a true Amish person-like from birth-but Samuel can. He is almost the sa